


together or not at all

by laireshi



Category: Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab
Genre: Blow Jobs, Established Relationship, Incest, M/M, Magical Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 04:19:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17399936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laireshi/pseuds/laireshi
Summary: Kell won't leave.





	together or not at all

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magicasen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicasen/gifts).



> A ficlet of an alternate ending. Have a great year, magic <333

“My king.” Kell kneels when Rhy enters his room.

“What did I tell you about that?” Rhy asks, rolling his eyes.

Kell remains on his knees, the picture of a perfect subject. “I’m your _Antari_ ,” he says. “My place is by your side.”

“Is this what it’s about, Kell?” Rhy takes two pillows from the settee, sits on one and gives the other to Kell. “Come on.”

“ _Rhy_.”

“ _My_ knees will start hurting if you keep it up.”

Kell does sit then, but he raises his eyebrows. “You’re not _always_ this worried about my knees.”

“Sometimes you’re more distracting,” Rhy answers, letting his gaze become heated.

“I’m staying,” Kell says, ignoring him. Rhy knows that requires some effort: the bond between them turned out to have some rather unexpected effects. Very good, amazing, the _best_ _imaginable_ effects that could be _very distracting_.

Rhy sighs. “Am I not your king?”

“That’s _why_ ,” Kell insists. 

Rhy touches his cheek gently and Kell leans into his hand. “You deserve to see the world, Kell.”

“Not without you.” Kell covers Rhy’s hand with his. “I don’t care for the world, Rhy. I care for you. You won’t send me away. It’s not an order I’ll ever obey.”

Kell deserves a life of his own so much. Rhy wishes he’d understand it. It’s not that he _wants_ Kell to go away, quite the contrary. The mere idea is horrifying. But Kell has given him so much already. How can Rhy ever thank him enough?

“You’ve always wanted to travel.”

“With you!” Kell looks exasperated. “What’s the point of seeing the most beautiful view in the world if I can’t share it with you?”

Rhy bites on his lip. That’s how _he_ feels about it, but they’re not talking about him. They’re talking about Kell. And Rhy would do anything to make him happy.

“I’m staying,” Kell repeats like he can read Rhy’s thoughts now. “Forever.” There’s burning loyalty and love in his one green eye.

Rhy leans in to kiss him. “Thank you,” he whispers, feeling guilty all the same. Kell is staying for _him_ , even though he shouldn’t, and Rhy is pathetically grateful. It’s obvious he can’t change Kell’s mind, but what if he tried harder? What if . . .

“Stop it,” Kell says. 

“Make me,” Rhy challenges, because sure, he’s lost an argument, but he could at least get _something_ out of it.

“Oh, to prove what you’d be missing if I went with your _idiotic_ idea?” Kell asks back.

Rhy huffs. “I can see the _respect for your king_ attitude you present.”

Kell laughs at him, and Rhy can’t help it, he laughs too. It feels good. Most days, he still feels like he’ll wake up any moment and the Osaron mess all will turn out to have been a bad dream. He knows it’s the same for Kell.

God, they probably share some of the actual nightmares they have.

Kell kisses him, sensing his mood changing, and Rhy welcomes the distraction. He lies down, pulling Kell on top of himself, and hisses as his back meets the hard wooden floor. Kell rolls his eyes at him, but he pulls him to his feet and pushes him towards the sofa instead. He kneels between Rhy’s knees and gives him a look that says _are you complaining about my position now_?

Rhy doesn’t bother answering, because Kell slowly strokes him through his trousers, and his thoughts scatter away as he becomes focused on his body, made even better by the fact that he knows Kell will experience _exactly_ how good he’s making Rhy feel.

Kell pulls his trousers down and Rhy obediently raises his hips to make it easier, and then Kell’s mouth is on him, hot and wet, working him exactly the way Rhy likes best. He tangles his fingers through Kell’s hair, not pulling, just enough to keep himself grounded, and Kell moans around him.

It hits him as a surprise, it always does, when he feels _Kell’s pleasure_ , which is Rhy’s, like an infinite feedback loop, and he never lasts long after that.

It’s no different now, as Kell sneaks in one hand under Rhy’s shirt and slides it up his chest, just another point of contact, and Rhy opens his mouth to warn him, but it’s too late and he’s coming. 

Kell doesn’t seem to mind, swallowing around him. 

He pulls himself up to collapse next to Rhy, then, clearly also spent himself, and he flashes Rhy a grin before leaning his head against his shoulder.

“Okay, okay,” Rhy says, still breathless. “Obviously sending you away to fulfil your dream of travelling would be a terrible choice.”

“Knew you only liked me for my body,” Kell mutters and yelps as Rhy elbows him.

“You _will_ tell me if you change your mind,” he says.

“I _won’t_ change my mind,” is Kell’s answer, quiet and completely certain like it’s a truth of the universe that he’ll never leave Rhy.

But maybe it is. Rhy, after all, would be dead if Kell were truly capable of letting him go. The reminder of that is almost humbling, and so he sneaks his arm around Kell and pulls him in closer, just to reassure himself.

“I guess,” he says slowly, quietly, “if our positions were reversed . . . I wouldn’t go, either.”

Kell laughs. “And I _would_ be trying to make you go.”

“Glad we’re on one page, then,” Rhy says.

Kell’s answer is a kiss.


End file.
